Am I ready for Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No.2?

[scherzo123]

Can I handle this piece? I really like it, especially the beautiful yet frightening (technically) Friska part. Does anybody have any advice? My signature is what I'm working on, and my repertoire:

Mozart Piano Sonata No.6 (1st mvt.)
Mozart Piano Sonata No.10 (1st mvt.)
Mozart Piano Sonata No.11 (3rd mvt.)
Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu Op.66
Chopin "Revolutionary" Etude Op.10 No.12
Liszt Liebestraum No.3

Also...how would the difficulty of Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 caompare with the difficulties with Liszt's Paganini Etude No.6 and Transcendental Etude No.10? Any advice/tips would be appreciated, thanks! 

[49410enrique]

 what's the harm in just starting work on it and in a few months deciding if you're good enough to finish it or just deciding to 'table' it and look at it again some time in the future?

[scherzo123]

what's the harm in just starting work on it and in a few months deciding if you're good enough to finish it or just deciding to 'table' it and look at it again some time in the future?

Awww...it's time consuming!!!!

[49410enrique]

Awww...it's time consuming!!!!

but you'd be practicing and getting better all the same, that is, wheather you keep playing it or not, spending some time with very hard music can stretch and give you a boost in your progress as a pianist/musician.

just a thought. but i'd say go for it. you love the piece. it's fall you could say, okay im going to try to learn this between now and the end of the Christmas vacation/start of the Spring 2013 classes.  that give syou 3 solid months plus a period of increased practice time when you won't have school to really work hard at it.

and if you put it away after that, when you look at it again in the future, you'll already be familiar with its challenges, i.e know what to expect.

i don't really see a downside.  unless you have absolutely horrible technique and would hurt yourself but you can always start a project thread and post regular recordings and many of the fine pianists here could give you honest and very useful feedback. this is a great resource if you know how to use it, ie. beyond just asking about difficulty or listing pieces by composers, you can get a lot more out of it. just tyring to encourage you and help as it is very apparent you are enthusiastic about piano the music, i think it's fantastic and you should 'run with it'

[j_menz]

Awww...it's time consuming!!!!

Then you are not ready.

[scherzo123]

but you'd be practicing and getting better all the same, that is, wheather you keep playing it or not, spending some time with very hard music can stretch and give you a boost in your progress as a pianist/musician.

just a thought. but i'd say go for it. you love the piece. it's fall you could say, okay im going to try to learn this between now and the end of the Christmas vacation/start of the Spring 2013 classes.  that give syou 3 solid months plus a period of increased practice time when you won't have school to really work hard at it.

and if you put it away after that, when you look at it again in the future, you'll already be familiar with its challenges, i.e know what to expect.

i don't really see a downside.  unless you have absolutely horrible technique and would hurt yourself but you can always start a project thread and post regular recordings and many of the fine pianists here could give you honest and very useful feedback. this is a great resource if you know how to use it, ie. beyond just asking about difficulty or listing pieces by composers, you can get a lot more out of it. just tyring to encourage you and help as it is very apparent you are enthusiastic about piano the music, i think it's fantastic and you should 'run with it'

Thanks 49410enrique you're the best! My technique isn't that bad...La Campanella isn't really a trouble for me so I guess I could try. 

Then you are not ready.

So inspiring.

[asuhayda]

Nobody is really ever ready for this piece.  But, I heard a 14 year old kid absolutely dominate this piece in a competition once.. so it can be done.  The challenge of this piece is in the RH tremolos in the Friska section.  Other than some crazy trilling during the Lassan section, there's really not much about it that's too hard.

It's an endurance race.  The trick is to stay relaxed the whole time so that you don't run out of gas before the end.  That's easier said than done.  I was 23 when I played this piece in a recital.  But I attempted to play it many times before (I took a shot at it when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school... but it didn't work out too well)

Like you said, it's time consuming.  It might not be a good idea to focus all your effort on one piece right now.  Your main objective should be to learn as much repertoire as you can - in order to build up a base.  You could seriously spend a year trying to learn HR #2 and have only mediocre results.  Just IMO

Doesn't hurt to pick at it now and then though.  Why not try an easier one like #11 or #13 (my all time favorite).  Even #15 is easier than #2 (in my opinion) - but it's still God awful hard.  The final three Rhapsodies (I can't remember their numbers) are good as well. They are a little bit shorter, less technical and less "gypsy-ish".. you might want to try those out as well.

[chewbacha]

what's the harm in just starting work on it and in a few months deciding if you're good enough to finish it or just deciding to 'table' it and look at it again some time in the future?

+1, I completely agree with that post!  

The best person to determine whether a piece is fit for you is definitely yourself! I see no harm in picking up the score from imslp and just reading through it to get a brief idea of whether you are able to play it.  

[starstruck5]

No one is ever ready for the Hungarian Rhapsodies if they have to ask if they are ready -

[scherzo123]

No one is ever ready for the Hungarian Rhapsodies if they have to ask if they are ready -

That probably only applies for you  .

[starstruck5]

That probably only applies for you  .

It's always good to be unique then-

I don't even like the Hungarian Rhapsodies btw.  Flashy concert pieces don't really interest me that much -even if I could be bothered to learn them -

[scherzo123]

I don't like them because they're flashy

[starstruck5]

I don't like them because they're flashy

That is good to hear -I think a lot of virtuoso pieces could be simplified actually and not suffer musically  -There are pianists who enjoy big challenges and flashy playing and an audience for that -but it often leaves me cold -

[chewbacha]

I don't like them because they're flashy

You don't like flashy pieces but you want to learn the HR no.2? :O

[starstruck5]

I think Scherzo meant that he likes the piece for its musical qualities.

[scherzo123]

I think Scherzo meant that he likes the piece for its musical qualities.

Exactly. The Friska melodies are so fun and exciting! I also like some parts of the Lassan too.

[gearmenta]

Well... The piece is demanding, and while it's not crazy difficult like other Liszt or Ravel, it's not too much to handle. Based on the repertoire you listed I don't think it's quite time for you.

[probably blue]

Legend says they are a master at Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 now!